800m stars battle in Glasgow

800m rivals go head-to-head in Glasgow

British 800m rivals Jenny Meadows and Marilyn Okoro are ready to kick-start their 2011 Aviva Series campaign at the Aviva International Match later this month and hope to further the middle distance supremacy which was set in 2010.

Meadows comes into Glasgow on the back of a memorable 2010 season, which saw her add a European bronze and World Indoor silver to the bronze medal she achieved at the World Championships in Berlin the year before.

And she is desperate to help the Aviva GB & NI team secure a second successive victory against teams representing USA, Sweden, Germany and a Commonwealth select.

She said: “I have a mixture of

But the 29-year-old admits the nerves are already starting ahead of the contest, but she is certain the residents of Glasgow will cheer her and her Aviva GB & NI teammates on to another Aviva International Match victory.

emotions ahead of the Aviva International Match as the crowd are fantasticand obviously after winter training I’m excited to get out on track, but then at the same time I’m always terrified of that match. It’s an indication of how your winter’s gone so I really do hold it with significance.

And equally excited about the match-up is Okoro who, having missed a majority of the 2010 season through injury, will turn out for the Commonwealth select team.

The Shaftesbury Barnett runner last competed in Glasgow in 2009, where she got the better of Meadows and finished ahead of Meadows the ‘pocket rocket’ in first place.

Okoro said: “I’m excited about competing at the Aviva International Match in Glasgow, I last competed there in 2009 and I just really enjoy being part of a team and having that extra bit of support behind me. I’ll be joining the commonwealth team this year, which will be great as I get to mix with a whole group of athletes that I’m normally competing against.”